Too Tired to Choose It: Shifting Preference of to Do Or to Have While Seeking Happiness

Aekyoung Kim, University of Texas at San Antonio, USARyan Howell, San Francisco State University, USA

Can seeking happiness alter individuals’ purchasing preferences? We examine whether the pursuit of happiness increases materialistic (vs. experiential) preferences. Having limited resources while seeking happiness leads people to choose the easier option (materialistic items vs. life experiences)—in a way that requires less effort.

[ to cite ]:Aekyoung Kim and Ryan Howell (2013) ,"Too Tired to Choose It: Shifting Preference of to Do Or to Have While Seeking Happiness", in NA - Advances in Consumer Research Volume 41, eds. Simona Botti and Aparna Labroo, Duluth, MN : Association for Consumer Research.